The Aztec-Approved Energy Snack

Health Warrior Chia Bars

Ever since being mentioned in Christopher McDougall's best-selling book homage to ultra-marathoning, 'Born to Run,' chia seeds – the preferred snack time food of the fearsome Aztec warriors, it turns out – have been front and center in runner's minds. As McDougall devotees know, the Tarahumara natives, like their Aztec predecessors, carry pouches of chia to fuel their stamina-draining 100-plus-mile runs. Thanks to Health Warrior, you can get in on that same endurance boost without needing to tote around a seed-laden fannypack.

Health Warrior packs chia seeds into the form of a compact, 100-calorie energy bar that contains more than 1000 mg of omega-3 (about the amount you'd usually take as a supplement), 4 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, and just 5 grams of sugar. And compared to some varieties of overly seedy, or sacharine-sweet gloopy messes that we've tasted over years, these tasted good (they come in three flavors: açai berry, coconut, and chocolate peanut butter). Truth be told, we've been putting them down like they're going out of style (which they certainly aren't), emptying out a 15-pack box ($23.50) in about a week (they're also available individually at markets like Whole Foods).

Chia is on the brink of exploding into the next big superfood, which makes sense to us, considering the nutritional profile of chia, which is a whole protein and expands in your stomach, making you feel full despite the measly 100 calories – and nicely without the urge to commit Aztec-style human sacrifice. (Yet.) [healthwarrior.com]